Thanks to Virginia Smith for the pictures
CHICAGO, Ill. – The North Park football team glided to an easy victory on Saturday afternoon, crushing the Elmhurst Bluejays by a score of 45-3 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. This marks the most points scored and the least points allowed during head coach Kyle Rooker's tenure, as well as the largest margin of victory for the NPU football since 1970.
The defense started strong out of the gate forcing a three-and-out from Elmhurst, and the offense followed suit as they marched down the field getting in range for Michael Messersmith to hit a 29-yard field goal to give the Vikings the lead. After the squads traded possessions, reigning D3football.com team-of-the-week selection jumped an Elmhurst pass that he took 47 yards to the house for a 10-0 NPU lead.
A few possessions later, after the NPU defense forced a bad punt, the Vikings took over at the Elmhurst 47 where they took only two plays to find the endzone. After a Caleb Jones 37-yard catch, Marcel Love took the ensuing play the final ten yards for touchdown. A bad snap forced Hunter Hughes to throw an unintentional two-point conversion to Alex Casas for an 18-0 lead.
The next time the Vikings got the ball, they decided to slow things down a bit and went 48 yards over 12 play using 6:05 of the game clock before Hughes ran took the ball around the right end and back into the promised land for another touchdown. It was another three-and-out for the Blujays that got the ball back with North Park and, again, the hosts marched the ball down the field. This drive had Mike Oray's name all over it as the two-way threat had a catch for eight yards and a catch for 27 yards to help get the Vikings down the field. Eventually quarterback Matt Eck found Oray from 11 yards out for another score a 32-point advantage heading in the half.
HALFTIME: North Park 32, Elmhurst 0
The visiting Bluejays surprised the Vikings with an onside kick that Elmhurst recovered to start the second half. Elmhurst used the good field position to help them move into field goal range where they finally broke the goose egg on their side of the scoreboard. After that score, the defense allowed no points for the remainder of the contest.
The offense cushioned their lead with a score in the each of the last two quarters. In the third, it was Tritain Zornes with the first receiving touchdown of his career catching a 25-yard swing screen from Eck that he was able to tightrope up the sideline for six. Love reached paydirt for the second time in the day when he scampered 15 yards right up the gut to cement the rout for the Vikings.
FINAL: North Park 45, Elmhurst 3
Quick Hits:
- Eck went 24-42 for 359 yards and two touchdowns.
- Zornes had a solid day with 77 total yards and a touchdown. Love also was solid for the rushing attack with 45 total yards.
- Caleb Jones had four total catches for 122 yards. Oray finished with seven catches, 89 yards and a touchdown.
- Nieves finished with four tackles and three pass break ups to go along with that pick-six.
- CJ Martin and Jaydin Miller had seven tackles a piece for the Vikings.
What's Next?
The Vikings (2-5) take their winning streak to Bloomington next Saturday, October 30th when they visit the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan. Kickoff for that game is at 1 PM at Tucci Stadium.
